Cousin Karen's Bob was stung by a Puss Caterpillar last week. He and Karen were on the part of our property we call the Rassy (sp?) place. It's so named because a feller named Rassmussen (Rassy) Nelson used to live their a gagillion years ago. Bob was pruning some vines so they wouldn't scratch his truck when this tiny, dime sized creature fell on his neck and stung him. Karen was able to knock it off of him and into a container to figure out what it was. She put it in a jar with some oak stems and leaves and we were all able to enjoy this "science experiment" all week. It is now in the capable hands of the high school up in Allentown, PA where Karen and Bob live. Hopefully they can watch it cocoon and turn into a moth. I haven't gotten an update yet. After careful study (a google search) Karen was able to ascertain that this is the most poisenous caterpillar in the U.S. Oddly enough they are very common in the Southeast and from Texas to Maryland. My dad and Uncle Tom, his brother, in their 70's and 80's had never seen one in all their years on the place! Bob survived the sting but reported pain coming in waves and a general achy feeling. It can be very serious with symptoms of shock and a visit to the ER necessary. The pic is from the webmd website listed. There you will find a great "bad bugs" slideshow: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/slideshow-bad-bugs
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